The Texas school board has spoken. Public figures who have ever dared to shed their uterine lining at any point in time have been erased from history. In an attempt to “streamline” public school curriculum, the Texas school board decided to rank the historical figures being taught to students, and eliminate anyone who didn’t make the cut. Spoiler Alert: women got the short end of the stick on this deal. It would seem that in Texas, these ladies are no longer an essential part of history. Even though the board swears that acknowledging those from underrepresented groups was part of the ranking process, it was mostly chicks who got the boot. Coincidence? I think not. Here’s are the historical figures the Texas school board is erasing from public education.
Hillary Clinton
We all know that Texas is a Republican state. They’re probably the most obnoxiously red state in the country. With that in mind, the Texas school board swore they’d keep politics out of their decisions which would affect the entire public education system. Clearly, that was a lie. Hillary Clinton, the first woman in our country’s history to win a major political party’s presidential nomination, was ranked a 5/20. Perhaps this is why Texas women are known for little other than their big hair and big…whatever. God forbid a little Texas girl has a strong, Democratic woman to look up to.
Helen Keller
Helen Keller was the first blind-deaf person to earn a bachelors degree. You literally can’t find a more underrepresented group of people than those with disabilities, but the Texas school board has removed her from their curriculum. Keller did score a tinge higher than Clinton though, with a 7/20. Perhaps the fact that she was a member of the Socialist Party and a political activist who supported birth control influenced this decision. Even though these factors make up just a small part of who she was, her long list of accomplishments will no longer be taught in Texas schools.
Eleanor Roosevelt
Another women’s rights activist and the longest serving First Lady in our country’s history, Eleanor Roosevelt has gotten the shaft by the Texas school board. Interesting how all of the women who happened to not rank high enough according to their bogus system were all outspoken political activists. If you haven’t brushed up on your American history in a while, Eleanor Roosevelt was quite the controversial First Lady in her time. With her husband in office from 1933 to 1945, she was known to hold regular press conferences where she advocated for women in the workplace, World War II refugees, and the civil rights of African and Asian Americans. Not exactly Texas’ thing I suppose.
Betty Friedan
Probably the most controversial name on this list according to a Texans standards, Betty Friedan was a FEMINIST! And not just any feminist, but the one who is said to have been single-handedly responsible for the second-wave of feminism in the ’60s. Unfortunately, the effects that the author of the renowned book “The Feminine Mystique” won’t be taught in Texas schools anymore. It would seem that if they had it their way, little Texan girls would grow up without an ounce of knowledge on feminism or a single woman in history who dared speak out against a man.
The best part of the new curriculum? They’ve voted to remove a lesson from the fourth-grade curriculum about “holding public officials to their word.” We wouldn’t want the next generation to be taught that politicians tell the truth. That would just be cruel!
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